European governments should stop welfare benefits for older Ukrainian men living in their countries, Poland’s foreign minister said in Kiev.
This is a measure that, according to Radoslav Shikorski, will help Ukraine recruit more soldiers to fight Russian forces, BTA reported, citing Reuters.
He also said that this would ease the state finances of countries in Western Europe that have accepted refugees from Ukraine.
More than 4.1 million Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection status in European Union countries since July this year, and about 22% of them were adult males, according to data from the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat.
“Stop paying social assistance for people who are subject to Ukrainian military service. There should be no financial incentives to avoid the draft in Ukraine,” Shikorski told a conference of international leaders in Kyiv.
“It is not a human right to receive financial aid to avoid conscription to defend your country. We in Poland don’t do that.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibyga welcomed Shikorsky’s call.
“It is time to really raise the issue that the European Union should develop programs to return Ukrainians home. Adequate conditions must certainly be created for this. This should be on the agenda. And I support Minister Shikorski’s idea,” Sibiga said.
Nearly 31 months into the war against Russia, at a time when Moscow’s forces are slowly but steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine, Kiev needs more troops to maintain its defense lines, rotate depleted troops and replace casualties .
Russia has a significant advantage in manpower and weapons on the battlefield.
Earlier this year, Ukraine adopted new legislation and implemented additional measures to increase the pace of military mobilization.
Under the new law, Kyiv requires Ukrainian men living abroad to update their military service information. The law encourages Ukrainians to return to Ukraine and join the fighting.
Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, barring men aged 18 to 60 from traveling abroad without special permission, and began a phased mobilization of male civilians into the armed forces.
But many men of military age remain abroad to avoid conscription. This comes amid reports of corruption in recruitment commissions.
btv.bg
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